A year into the job, McDonald's Global Chief Brand Officer Kevin Newell said he's focusing on making more engaging ads, aggressively developing menu items and fostering what he calls "children's well-being."

"Most people when they talk about children's well-being, they go immediately to the food, but … it's also about education and activity," Newell said. "And the Olympics will set us up very nicely to launch a few things around children's well-being."

To get there, Newell, 55, is looking to leverage the company's top sponsorship of London's Summer Olympic Games that begin in July, launching a global exercise initiative for children that's expected to remain active after the games have concluded.

Newell addressed McDonald's biennial global convention Thursday about what's next for the brand. In an interview with the Tribune earlier this month, he said that includes stepped-up emphasis of neighborhood involvement around the world, particularly McDonald's role in supporting children's sports teams.

He oversees what Ad Age estimated as a $2.3 billion global advertising budget in 2010.

About 15,000 franchisees, employees, suppliers and other vendors gathered in Orlando, Fla., for updates on the company's business and samples of McDonald's products from other countries. The convention took place against the backdrop of another successful year of sales gains despite a fragile global economy and soaring commodity costs.

As McDonald's plans to welcome Don Thompson to the CEO role in July, investors are looking to see how the chain, which has posted nearly nine years of sales gains, plans to maintain momentum while sustaining restaurant traffic and profitability.

Marketing is expected to play a big role.

Newell began his career at Chicago advertising firms Burrell Communications and Leo Burnett before joining McDonald's in 1989, eventually becoming marketing officer of the U.S. Central division. Before he was named chief brand officer in 2011, he was senior vice president and restaurant support officer for the U.S. West division, charged with leading the region's business plans and maintaining relationships with franchisees.

The responsibilities of his new position have evolved in recent years, encompassing the chain's menu development, consumer and business insights, sustainability and restaurant design. That marks a departure of sorts, as marketing and the brand existed in a bit of a vacuum.

In the short term, Newell said McDonald's is focused on identifying popular products in its various markets that could also be introduced elsewhere. He pointed to premium burgers and wraps from Europe and chicken products in Asia, particularly in the use of dark meat, spices and innovative sauces. He also noted the Ovomaltine, a chocolaty McFlurry flavor from Latin America that's one of the incoming CEO's favorites.

Longer term, Newell said the company knows consumers are "going to want more variety around beverages," and there's an indication that they're also interested in baked foods.

"But we have to be careful," he said. "We're going to chase things that are going to be right for our customers."

McDonald's, he said, remains committed to nearly its 9-year-old "I'm Lovin' It" campaign. But the company is looking to elevate themes like food quality and teamwork in stores while also developing more engaging story lines.

Three ads debuted at the convention and are expected to be aired worldwide featuring restaurant employees working to make coffee and sandwiches; children engaging in physical contests with the winner being rewarded with a product from McDonald's; and expected Olympic basketball players LeBron James and Luol Deng, who agree that the winner gets gold, a Big Mac and fries.

All three ads were created by Chicago ad agencies and their partners: two by DDB, one by Leo Burnett. Air dates will vary by market.

"If you watch the McDonald's creative over the past seven or eight years, I think we've gotten much, much better at the storytelling," Newell said. "And as the storytelling gets better, that connection with consumers gets stronger."

As an example of that storytelling, he pointed to an ad that focuses on farmers who grow potatoes for the chain's fries.

"That creative shows our consumers the hamburger that they have, the fries that they have, that started with real people just like them, and I think things like that really create a strong connection," he said.

McDonald's also is working on a yearslong marketing initiative to boost the perception of food quality. While such efforts have paid off in recent years, "we still have more work to do," Newell said.

"There's one of our competitors who's done a pretty good job of creating fresh food perceptions, and they get a lot of credit for that," he said. "I think ours is just as fresh, just as good, but we haven't told that story."

Dan Dahlen, a restaurant marketing consultant, described McDonald's marketing as a "juggernaut."